Man, 31, arrested on suspicion of mutilating and killing five cats in Northampton

Reporter

A 31-year-old man has been arrested by police in connection with the deaths of five cats in Northampton.

The cats were all found mutilated in different areas of Northampton in August and November last year. They were linked to the so-called Croydon Cat Killer by campaign group SNARL (South Norwood Animal Rescue).

A 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the Northampton cat deaths and is being questioned by police.

In a statement, Northamptonshire Police said it was working closely with the Metropolitan Police as part of its investigation, Operation Takahe.

Speaking to the national media, a spokesman for SNARL said they did not believe the arrested man was the Croydon Cat Killer and that he was still at large. They believe that up to 400 cats have been killed across the country.

The five cats from Northampton were all dismembered in a similar way.

The first, one-year-old Rusty, was left in a plastic bag on the owner's doorstep on August 28.

The family's 14-year-old daughter made the grim discovery.

Topsy, a 15-year-old, went missing after it was last seen on the driveway of its owner's home.

The next morning, on September 6, the cat's mutilated remains were found stuffed inside a carrier bag and left on a path outside the house.

On October 7 and 13, two unnamed cats were found in Duston before the latest discovery on November 18, which prompted Northamptonshire Police to issue advice to owners, which includes keeping all cats and rabbits indoors at night.

In the last case, a mutilated cat was discovered placed on top of a car near the owners' home.